


Childhood

by Joking611



Series: Cari'ssi'mi Drabbles [1]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-26 00:46:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12047802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joking611/pseuds/Joking611
Summary: Benezia spends time with her unusual daughter





	Childhood

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Daniscats](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daniscats/gifts).



> Challenge Yourself: A Month Of Fanfiction 2017
> 
> Thursday 8/31's prompt: A gift fic
> 
> Daniscats wanted to see some of Liara's childhood

Parnitha was a gloriously warm beacon. She dominated the sky, holding the majority of clouds to the horizon even this late in the season. The black sands of the beach drank in the heat, held it, then released it back into the sky with joyous abandon. The warm breeze off the M’datari Sea topped off an expression of summer that dominated the few dozen asari who had trekked to the beach from the estate proper.

Despite the preeminence of summer, the proximity of the upcoming solstice added a hint of chance in the air. A touch of possibility that was carried on the otherwise friendly gusts. 

Benezia’s attention was on her daughter. The child had spent much of the afternoon walking purposefully up and down the beach. The youngster had paced slowly, deliberately. Benezia was reminded of nothing more than a matriarch on the Conclave giving a particularly austere oration. Liara had a similar air about her, one that spoke of a position that others disagreed with, but that the speaker felt was critical to convey.

Alaya stepped up beside her lady. “Peeress,” she began. “Matriarch Heulphea has called _again_ ,” she stressed the last. “She insists that she speak with you.”

The regal Head of House T’Soni didn’t even dignify the request by turning her head. “No. The premier takes enough of my time, and Armali is in no danger if Heulphea is delayed in asking me her request of the moment.” She turned when Alaya did not respond. “I am spending the day with my daughter.” She tilted her head for emphasis. “Was I not clear?”

Her transgression underscored, Alaya stepped back from Benezia’s side. “Apologies, Peeress. I shall inform Heulphea of some available times in your schedule.” She turned and walked away from the small rise upon which Benezia stood.

The matriarch ignored Alaya’s departure, her eyes again on Liara, who was now examining the various tools and implements that the commandos had brought from the estate. In the four hours that they had so far spent on the beach, Liara had examined each, then lay them aside.  Shovels, picks, trowels, and rock hammers had been arranged by size and configuration, then not touched again. Now Liara was squatting amongst them, lifting each as if testing them for weight. She made small marks in the sand with a few, but then returned them to their position on the beach.

The child stood again, with a small shake of her head. She turned to look at her mother, resplendent in a yellow dress, the semi-metallic fabric sparkling in the sunlight. The sight brought a smile to Liara’s face before the serious demeanor she’d carried all afternoon reasserted itself.

She turned away, and started pacing down the beach again. Occasionally she would pause for a moment, examining something at her feet, but her overall progress took her further and further away from her mother. The commandos tasked with her safety followed just far enough away to avoid the outburst that Liara had demonstrated more often of late.

An unobtrusive movement of Benezia’s fingers brought Isyrzea to her side.

“Yes, Peeress?” The lieutenant in charge of the matriarch’s protection detail pitched her voice just loudly enough to be heard over the wind and surf.

“How much time do we have?”

Of all the constraints on the matriarch’s time, Isyrzea knew it was the weather that Benezia referred to. “At least an hour, Peeress.”

“At least an hour,” repeated the matriarch. The afternoon felt a bit less temperamental than that, but she also knew that Isyrzea would err on the side of caution. Isyrzea was atypically conservative for a huntress, which is why she was in charge of her and Liara’s safety.

“Liara seems unimpressed by our efforts,” Benezia confided as her daughter continued to walk away from them. “This afternoon was meant to be about her. I expected that she would be up to her elbows in one of her ‘excavations’ by now.” _‘With far less damage to the grounds than usual,’_ was the unspoken continuation of that thought. The youngster’s play at seeking ancient artifacts was particularly hard on the gardens.

“Perhaps because there is no risk involved.” The lieutenant was serene under Benezia’s gaze. “Sanctioned activity may not hold the same excitement of attempting to avoid discovery.”

That was possible, Benezia conceded, even if the suggestion was likely tainted by the bias to action of a huntress. If true, it could explain Liara’s current behavior, but the matriarch didn’t believe it to be so. He daughter was frightfully intelligent, and extremely strong willed. It was a daunting combination for any parent, but she did not see her daughter as a thrill seeker.

She nodded dismissal to Isyrzea, as she left her observation point, and started down towards the water. She could hear Isyrzea behind her, issuing direction that would keep her firmly inside the protective envelope provided by the House commandos.

Liara also noticed as the huntresses at the periphery of her vision changed position to allow them to continue protecting her mother. To be able to gauge her mother’s position based on the locations of the members of her protection detail was a skill that the T’Soni heir had learned at an early age. Benezia watched as her daughter’s path began to slowly curve, eventually allowing the child to lay eyes on her without Liara actually turning her head. The child’s steps were just a _little_ faster as she changed direction back towards where she now stood next to the pile of garden tools, her mouth _almost_ turned up into a smile. Benezia might not always understand her unusual daughter, but there was love there, and it was reciprocated.

Liara stopped a few steps away from her, timid as always about demonstrating affection when they were not alone.

“Mother,” the single word implied so much that went unspoken between them.

“Little Wing.” Benezia tried to reinforce the rare informality of the occasion.

“Do we have to go in?” There was a wistful note in Liara’s voice.

“Is that what you wish? I thought you’d spend more time digging and less time prospecting.”

Liara’s mouth opened the briefest of moments. “Digging?”

 _‘She’s much too young to have learned to roll her eyes like that,’_ considered Benezia as she wondered where her daughter had learned that boorish behavior. “I often find you digging,” offered Benezia. “That was why I had these brought with us,” the matriarch toed a shovel at her feet. “I had hoped that it would make the afternoon more enjoyable for you.”

“In _sand_?” Liara’s incredulous tone intensified. “What would I find in sand?”

“I thought it would be easier to dig through.” Best not to voice her original hope that Liara could pretend the occasional seashell was one of the artifacts she so desperately sought.

“Mother,” now Liara’s voice took on the condescending tone of the adolescent she was so close to becoming, “This sand was not even here hundreds of years ago. What artifacts would I find?”

The cultured politician was washed away under a wave of indignant mother. “What artifacts do you expect to find in my flowerbeds?”

Liara’s eyes fell to the ground between them. 

Benezia closed her eyes as she sought the patience her race was known for. “But... you might find something, yes?”

Liara looked up, daring to hope.

“Perhaps this expedition _would_ be better suited to the estate grounds.”

Liara visibly perked up at her words.

“You have a specific location in mind?”

The child nodded.

“Is it my flowerbeds?”

Liara practically radiated innocence.

Benezia sighed as she looked towards the horizon. “Then we shall, but not today.” She continued before Liara could interrupt her. “We will resume this tomorrow.”

“But Mother…”

“Little Wing, there is a storm coming.”

“I am not afraid of a storm,” insisted Liara.

“I know, Little Wing. I know.”


End file.
